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Starlight Spectacular @ Canada's Wonderland


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Canada's Wonderland debuted Starlight Spectacular for the first time last week. Rather than having it as a walk-through "attraction" like the rest of the Starlight Spectaculars, Wonderland's version is a show, utilizing the mountain to project images.

Here's some pictures and a video:

https://www.canadaswonderland.com/events/event_detail.cfm?event_id=751&ec_id=12

Now that the park has this lighting equipment, it opens a slew of opportunities for the future as far as lighting up the mountain goes. It definitely makes me wish KI had a lighting package that better utilized the beauty of Eiffel Tower's structure.

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Wow! All I can say is WOW! That was REALLY impressive. I especially liked the "rock tilting" effect that the lights had on the mountain at about 4:45 into that video. A really nice show, and rather unique. Seems like something Disney would do, to be honest. Now if only I could make it up to Canada`s Wonderland sometime this year. Unfortunately, I don`t think I`ll have the time (or money) to make it up there this season. Not to mention I do not have a passport...

The same technology likely wouldn`t work quite as well on the Eiffel Tower at Kings Island, simply because of the fact that the Eiffel Tower isn`t a full canvas, since it is a lattice work of steel beams and girders. I am happy that Kings Island is now lighting the front side of the Eiffel Tower again this season. I was disappointed when only the back side was lit last year. It just wasn`t the same with the front side dark last season. Especially with the amount of people that view the nightly fireworks from right inside the front gate area.

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I'm not sure if anyone else has seen this, but I truly think this video is a must-watch!

Canada's Wonderland's Starlight Spectacular is a little different from ours (and by that I mean a lot different), as they've used an incredible system of projectors to truly bring Wonder Mountain (their centerpiece opposite our Eiffel Tower) to life. I am absolutely amazed by this video. Consider that this is a three dimensional mountain that is being projected upon, so literally every inch had to be mapped so that the images could be projected over the curves and breaks and bumps, but appear as one cohesive image.

Truly incredible, and something that they can perform nightly with little added expense and much less upkeep than ours.

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I also hear that their fountains change colors and animate to go along with the animations, turning into "lava" and strobing different colors for the appropriate scenes. Their official site reads:

Canada's Wonderland celebrates its 30th birthday this summer with Starlight Spectacular, a million dollar light and sound experience. This innovative show will dazzle the senses when the fountain dances in up to 16,000,000 colours and International Street glitters with 300,000 LED lights.The highlight of the show is an unprecedented display of animated effects and 3D images which will transform Wonder Mountain to a spectacular canvas of colours.

So it sounds as though International Street has been outfitted with new LED lights, too! So impressive. I would never have expected this.

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Wow - that is Disney style! You can't really compare that to our Starlight Spectacular....it's not even the same thing!

That's pretty amazing. I wonder if Kings Island had a mountain they would do that....that would be so cool!

Let me just say - my opinion from the beginning was that our Starlight Spectacular should've been placed in the Tower Gardens. I know it's not huge. BUT, there is a defined pathway (following the white marble stones that used to have the film names) and some great places for neat effects. For example, back behind the carousel is an area where the marble path creates a wide circle. In the middle of that circle could be a parade float like at Cedar Points. Maybe with Snoopy and a bubble machine.

Then, too, our tiny little mountain (the one that used to have the waterfall) could have a small show like Wonderland's projected on it. Sure it would be small, but it would grab people's attention and that little amphitheater built around the waterfall could have families gathered to watch it play through the 5 - 10 minute cycle.

I just think that our Starlight Spectacular was a real missed opportunity for the park. Cedar Point's is literally immersive. It surrounds you. There's incredible orchestral music and probably a few hundred thousand LED lights, and little scenes celebrating the major holidays. The lights are around every tree and up into the canopies. Our Starlight show is a few stand-up stars in a grassy field, some lit up Peanuts cut outs, blue and white trees, a techno remix of the Charlie Brown song, and a Charlie Brown stripe on the Eiffel Tower. I think placing it in the forested Tower Gardens would replicate the feel of Cedar Points, and also allow us unique details like a tiny version of Canada's mountain show. Plus, the Gardens are already rigged with theatrical lighting. If a few LEDs were placed in the little waterways and ponds and they all changed colors, it would be indescribable.

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But instead...

eiffeltowere.jpg

Sigh.

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Guest PizzaBaby027

I feel that Kings Island will do something spectacular!! And wait for 2022, our 50th, and with the new CEO...can not wait!!!

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I feel that Kings Island will do something spectacular!! And wait for 2022, our 50th, and with the new CEO...can not wait!!!

... Will do something spectacular? This isn't a "forecasting" thread or a rumors thread... It's just pointing out Canada's Wonderland's Starlight show. I then compared it to ours. But there are no plans to change ours at all or improve it or anything, so I don't know what you're suggesting we wait for... (And 11 years, nonetheless!) Ours is done, as is theirs. They're very different, but I wasn't suggesting that something spectacular will happen to ours. Haha

GYK, confused and thinking that you may have meant to reply to another thread...

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I feel that Kings Island will do something spectacular!! And wait for 2022, our 50th, and with the new CEO...can not wait!!!

... Will do something spectacular? This isn't a "forecasting" thread or a rumors thread... It's just pointing out Canada's Wonderland's Starlight show. I then compared it to ours. But there are no plans to change ours at all or improve it or anything, so I don't know what you're suggesting we wait for... (And 11 years, nonetheless!) Ours is done, as is theirs. They're very different, but I wasn't suggesting that something spectacular will happen to ours. Haha

GYK, confused and thinking that you may have meant to reply to another thread...

He was just saying he was excited for our 50th, I dont see why you are snapping at that....

Not trying to be rude but...wink.gif

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